Thomas Blakely, born in Cumberland, PA, was a first generation American whose parents were Rachel Orr, an Irish lass, and an Englishman, John William Blakely. Together, they created 10 new Americans, all of whom were taught to be proud of the land their parents had adopted.

As time went on - and after most of their children had been born - the Blakelys were persuaded to join a band of Scots-Irish Protestants who were planning to travel further into this vast country in the hope of finding a place containing fertile ground for farming with people who shared their beliefs and traditions. Some, like the Blakelys, had lived in America several years, while others had recently migrated from Ulster Province in Ireland. But all shared the same dream for a future grounded in peace and prosperity.

This group of migrants included, among others, the Adair, Blakely, and Copeland families, and set out on the same path taken by earlier pioneers from Pennsylvania, into Maryland, through Virginia and into the Carolinas. Even though the goal was South Carolina, some of the travelers decided to settle down in Charlotte, North Carolina, (a town named for the wife of King George III of England).

Rebuilt in 1843 - Duncan Creek Church

After saying goodbye to their friends, they were on their way again and finally arrived in Craven County, (later named Laurens County) South Carolina where they settled near the Enoree and Tiger Rivers on Duncan's Creek. It was here that they built their homes and, in 1752, built Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church. (In 1778, after an argument over which version of the Psalms should be used during the services, several founding families, including the Blakelys, left and started up other churches in town.).

Even today, townspeople occasionally call the area “ABC”, their shorthand for the preponderance of Adair, Blakely and Copeland families who still occupy the area - and whose menfolk left their homes 20 years after arriving in order to fight for freedom against their former rulers.

Fortunately for today's researchers, many of the men or their widows were still alive in 1832 to claim pension payments for their services during the Revolution. 77 year old Tom Blakely was one of those who graphically described his battle experiences during his two enlistments. In the application, he spelled his name Thomas “Blackly”, although it was spelled "Blakely” or “Blakelee” by others in the family. http://revwarapps.org/s21650.pdf

21 year old Thomas began his militia service in the Spring of 1776, when he volunteered to serve under Capt. John Rodgers, Col. James Williams, and General Andrew Williamson, (a brilliant Scot who was eventually commissioned as a Brigadier-General in the Continental Army and particularly successful in fighting Indians). During his first enlistment, Thomas fought against the Cherokee Indians who had aligned themselves with the British forces in the area. http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution patriot_leaders_sc_andrew_williamson.html

His first major battle took place in the village of Tugaloo, a large Cherokee settlement which was a congregating point for the Cherokees in the area that contained about 200 lodge houses.

The
battle, led by General Williamson, resulted in the village being
totally destroyed. It was never rebuilt and the only evidence of its
existence today is a large Indian mound rising above the waters of
Lake Hartwell and an
historic marker on Highway 123 at the Georgia-South Carolina border. http://www.stephenscountyga.com/history.cfm?lid=180

Thomas' second
major battle, called the "Ring Fight" (perhaps
because of "rings of fire" set around Indian villages)
took place on August 12, 1776. At that time, the loyalties of
the Cherokee tribes which had spread across the entire southeast
territory were split. Some declaredthemselves
loyal to the British while others declared neutrality. Those
who aligned themselves with the British had launched an intense
campaign on the Western colonial settlements. Andrew
Williamson, who was a Major at that time, gathered a force of
1,100 South Carolina loyal backcountry men and, assisted by Captain
Andrew Pickens, conducted a "scorched earth" campaign
against the Cherokee villages in western South Carolina.
http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/andrew-pickens-wins-ring-fight.html

After
participating in those bloody battles, Thomas took some time off
until early in 1779, when he rejoined the militia, this time,
reporting to Captain William Milwee and Colonel McCreary, and was
joined by his younger brother, William (Honest Bill featured in an
earlier post). Although they had probably fought against each other
as young boys do, all such antics had to be put aside to fight a
common enemy for their very lives. After marching to the Savannah
River and making camp across the river from Augusta, the miltia
waited for General Benjamin Lincoln to take command and lead them
back across the river into a major battle on June 20th,
1779.

The
"Battle
of Stono Ferry" was
fought near Charleston and began well for the Patriots who engaged
the British with small arms and cannon fire for an hour, at which
point they advanced to the man-made fortification. Two of the
Highlander companies resisted until only 11 men were left standing,
but eventually, after British reserves were brought across the
bridge, they rallied and won the fight.

Losses
on both sides were heavy. The Americans reported 34 killed (one of
whom was Andrew Jackson's brother, Hugh), 113 wounded and 155
missing. The British had 26 killed, 93 wounded and 1 missing. Finally, after
analyzing how the tide was turning against the Patriots, Lincoln
ordered a retreat and his reputation suffered greatly both then
and when he later became known as the "General who lost
Charleston" (a devastating loss for the Patriots which could have easily resulted in the British returning to power). This
battle ended Thomas' war and he returned home to his family.

At the pension hearing, he testified that he had been
a volunteer for nine months (although he had actually served longer than that, according to official records) and had never received a
commission. His statements were confirmed
by William Henderson and Robert McNeese. On August 21, 1833, he
was awarded $30 a year (a mighty sum at the time) but only lived long enough to collect $60.

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About Me

My husband and I grew up in Chicago, but soon after the birth of our second son, we left the city, moving ever northward until finally deciding winter had lost its charm and it was time to head south. Since our sons are now grown with sons of their own, we are able to direct our interests in other directions than child rearing.

One of my previously ignored interests is genealogy, and since I have always loved writing poetry and stories, this blog combines those interests.

My unofficial goal is to research and then write about family legends who, although no longer living, have had an impact on the lives of those who followed him or her. The hope is that I will be able to bring those ancestors to life by recognizing that although they lived with different challenges and in different times, they had experienced the same joys and sorrows as we do today.

I am having a great time writing about a soldier one week, a haunted house the next, and then stirring up the potion with more recent family members who, although no longer with us, left behind memories to cherish.

Be sure to check out the Table of Contents for a listing of all the stories written to date, as well as the "State of the Blog" which is updated occasionally. Also included is an article entitled "The Chosen", which, although not written by me, is deeply appreciated since it describes so well the feelings of all who claim genealogy as a hobby.

Thanks for your continuing support. You are welcome to quote anything you might have read in my blog but I do ask that you credit Legends of the Family if you plan to do so.

I always welcome your comments, and hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I do writing them.